Huge Investment Will Revamp Nusa Penida Harbour For Bali Tourists

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Nusa Penida is one of the top destinations in Bali Province right now.

The gorgeous outlying island is home to some of the most famous natural landscapes in Asia, and thousands of tourists make the crossing to the main island of Bali every week. 

With Nusa Penida in ever more demand by tourists, officials want to make some much-needed improvements to the Habor at Banjar Nyuh on the island.

Late last year, footage emerged online of hundreds of tourists scrambling for shelter when a sudden rain storm came pouring down. 

The Habor at Banjar Nyuh was never built to accommodate quite as many tourists, and local officials have applied for funding to increase capacity to make it easier for fast boats to operate and, most importantly, for tourists to transit through the port.

One of the first ways they will do this is by improving road access in and out of the port. 

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Officials have submitted a funding request from the Indonesian Ministry of Transport for IDR 8 billion to revamp Banjar Nyuh Habor.

The Head of the Nusa Penida Port Office, Luh Putu Eka Suyasmin, told reporters, “Yes, we plan to revitalize the road at Banjar Nyuh Port from the Ministry of Transpiration’s [anunal budget] this year. The plan is for asphalt and drainage first; now it is being auctioned at the center, and the budget is IDR 8 billion.”

He added, “There are development plans later when all is good. We will also work with vendors to create electronic parking.”

He also suggested that a universal online ticketing system is in the pipeline, too, something that would make a big difference to tourists.

Although some fast boat providers have an independent online ticketing system, officials want a system that can be used by the port authorities to sell tickets to travelers from a central base. 

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Suyasmin explained, “Each ship’s capacity is different, so the price ranges from IDR 75,000-100,000; electronic tickets will be helpful because the density [will change] based on domestic and foreign holidays.”

A central digital ticketing system would ensure that fast boats do not exceed capacity, causing all kinds of health and safety issues. 

While Bali is officially in its low season, during peak season and major holidays, the number of tourists traveling from the main island of Bali to the Nusa Islands, Gili Islands, and Lombok skyrockets.

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Data from this Christmas and New Year shows that there were on average 9,750 passengers a day moving through Sanur Port towards Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan between 23rd and 30th of December.

On a busy weekday, the number of passengers traveling from Sanur to Nusa Penida can amount to 4,000 people.

There are 57 fast boats in operation out of Sanur serving the Nusa Islands; there are 15-18 boats on standby too.

Sanur is by far the most popular departure port for tourists heading to the Nusa Islands, with the alternative port, Padangbai, seeing notably less.

For many tourists, the drive out to Padangbai to catch a fast boat makes the journey too long, especially if they are staying in the Canggu, Seminyak, Legian, or Kuta areas. 

It is about time that the Habor at Banjar Nyuh received a bit of a boost. Efforts to make the flow of tourists between the islands more efficient have largely been focused on the Sanur side.

In November last year, traffic police and local leaders rallied together to crack down on illegal parking on the roads leading to Sanur Port after traffic congestion worsened, increasing the risk that tourists would miss their boats.

Sanur Port has undergone a facelift relatively recently.

The new pier was officially opened in November 2022, making it easier than ever for tourists to board and disembark the fast boats.